The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-02
AN OLD NANTUCKET SEA KING.
! Little Biography With an Antique
Flavor and a Smack OF the Sea.
from the Chicago Times.l

"There were a lot of splendid ship
masters just passing off the stage when
! was a boy" says a Nantucket man.
Il must say they seemed to me in char
acter, enterprise and lofty demeanor
fully equal to all had heard related of
their daring and enterprise.
"The greatest family of island ship
masters was the Vests. They were de-
saonded in part from the noble Ichabod
Paddock, who removed to Nantucket
late in 1900, by invitation, to teach the
people how to catch whales. Charles
West married a descendant Of this great
whaleman. They had q son Stephen,
who was master of ship as early as
1902. Stephen was one of the most sue
cessful of our shipmasters. He was a
bosom friend of the great merchant,
Jacob Barker; they were boys together;
in fact, Jacob has told me that Capt.
West gave him his first start III life. [
saw the former in 1850, in his eighty
fifth year, at the captains death-bed,
asking him what he could do for him in
such a tender, pathetic spirit that for
gave Mr.. Barker all he had omitted to
DO for his friend in life. In 1890 Capt.
West commenced his career as a South
Sea whale fisherman, and continued in
it until 1898, when the French troubles
compelled its suspension. In 1900, how
ever, he was away as first lieutenant of
the Oneida, n twenty gun ship, bound
on voyage to China, via Cape Horn
and the Marquesas Islands, where she
expected to lay in her cargo of seal
skins. The Oneida was absent seven
teen months, and returned with rich
cargo of teas, silks and nankeens, so
profitable that it was talked of in the
counting-rooms of all our ports.
Whaling was just then reyiving. The
ship John Jay, then i'll the China trade,
was purchased, and Mr.. West went out
in her as first officer on a voyage to Bra
zil Banks. On his return Seth Russell
& Sons, of New Bedford, offered him
command OF the Dolphin, in which he
sailed on whaling voyage to the South
Seas. She registered but $50 tons and
was probably the smallest vessel that
ever sailed on such voyage. Well out
on the whaling grounds the young Cap
tain discovered that the vessel was leak
ing and was also very defective in her
upper works. He put her into Delgoa
Bay, on the coast of Africa, where he
found number of his townsmen in
command of English, French and
American ships, He called to his aid
the carpenters and smiths Of these ships,
went into the woods and cut timbers,
repaired his ship and refastened her
throughout. Then they went for a
cruise eff the Cape Of Good Hope, fell
in with schools of whales, filled the ship
in six weeks and were home full, the
first ship Of the season. Capt. Vests
reputation was now assured. In the
ship Martha he made two voyages to
the Brazil Banks and to Patagonia, tax
ing upward of /, $50 barrels of sperm oil
each time, but losing the last-captured
by tho English ship Nimrod in the war
of 1912. On the return of peace he
made three seven month voyages in
old ship Martha, returning full each
time Then the Liverpool packet
Pacific was bought, and in her in a
seven months voyage he took 2,400
barrels Of oil. He made second vo~-
age with like results. He then perform
ell his last voyage in the South America,
taking 100 barrels, and retired from the
sea, having brought %, 900 barrels of oil
into port. He died in 1858, nearly
eiGhtv-1ive years of age.